Fortune's Fool
by Latte De Luca
Summary: A Troyler AU. Tyler Oakley is living the dream—set-up to take over his family's bank when he graduates university, he has a life of wealth and affluence before him. However, when he meets the son of his mother's new housekeeper, his world is forever changed. Enter Troye, a dreamy, blue-eyed boy who has Tyler questioning everything he thinks he knows.
1. Chapter 1

_Tyler_

I stared blankly at my computer screen. Vaguely I was aware of the warm summer sun streaming through the windows behind me, playing across my shoulders, and the sounds of insects buzzing in the grass outside interrupted by the roar of a distant lawnmower. I was concentrating, trying to think of a topic sentence for a ten page paper illustrating the purpose of Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_. I knew what I wanted to say, that Shakespeare was making fun of young love; it's obvious. Two stupid children fall for each other in the matter of a single evening and then come to an equally stupid end all because they are young and foolish and so is their love. I just wasn't sure how to start.

I furrowed my brow, wondering if getting up for a snack might be worth the effort. Just then I registered the sound of wheels crunching up the drive outside, and I glanced up distractedly to peer out the window. From my perch on a couch in the sunroom I could easily look down into the driveway. My eyes were met with a car I didn't recognize, it looked to be a minivan that had clearly seen better days. The bottom was rusting and the paint had chipped away around the wheel wells making it look like some kind of spotted animal. The whole thing was dirty too, and extremely out of place beside the manicured hedges and lawns of our house. I watched until it rounded the side of the building and I could no longer see it. Humming to myself in mild confusion I slumped back to my previous position and tried again to focus.

"Tyler?" My head snapped up at the sound of my mother's voice, Jackie was standing just outside the sunroom, dressed in a pantsuit and clearly on her way out the door. "The new housekeeper is supposed to be here any minute would you be a dear and let them in for me? I need to run or I'll be late."

"Wait, who?" I asked, instantly curious. Not remembering a single conversation about any new housekeeper.

"Her name is Laurelle, Laurelle Mellet. She's moving in today with her kids, I swear I told you before, didn't I?" Jackie was obviously impatient and her mind was elsewhere, likely on her work. I shook my head but didn't bother to verbally deny it. My mom was a busy person surely she couldn't be expected to remember to tell me everything.

"I'll let them in. Will you be back for dinner?" I asked closing my laptop, it looked like essay writing would have to wait.

"Yup, I'll see you then, thanks sweetie." She blew me a little kiss before rushing off towards the front door.

"Bye mom!" I called after her, not bothering to wait until I heard door close behind her to scurry off in the direction of the stairs.

Our house is pretty big, three floors and a finished basement apartment where the housekeeper lives. I had to admit I was insanely curious about the new housekeeper, especially considering my mom had mentioned there would be kids. I was already imagining a bunch of cute children running around downstairs, maybe they'd bring some kind of life back into the house. Its just been me and my mom ever since I can remember, us and our old housekeeper who was pretty crotchety and not who I would call good company.

On the way down the stairs I heard the doorbell ring and sped up, waving to the woman standing behind the large french doors to show her I'd heard her. She had black hair that was cut in a style I had to admit was not that flattering but I shoved away these thoughts as I opened the door for her.

"Hello, are you Ms. Mellet?" I asked, flashing a smile and refusing to let my eyes flicker away from her face even as I heard the sounds of other people unpacking the car.

"The one and only." She smiled back at me, "I hope we're not too terribly late." My eyes widened just a fraction at her accent, was it British?

"Just on time," I quipped and then held out my hand to her, "I'm Tyler Oakley by the way, Jackie's son."

"Its lovely to meet you Tyler, I'm Laurelle, and these are my kids," She gestured to two children now hauling boxes and bags out of the van behind her. One was a girl with long blond hair and the other was a little boy with dimples who looked like he was in middle school. I was silently disappointed they weren't younger. "Tyde and Sage, and Troye's here somewhere." Laurelle finished, looking back towards me.

"Well come on inside, I'm sure you want to unpack and everything." I smiled broadly, stepping out of the way so Laurelle could walk through the door. Tyde and Sage came running in a moment later seemingly in the middle of an argument about who got to pick their room first.

"Mom you said I got to have my own room didn't you?" Sage demanded, ignoring my presence completely and focusing on her mother.

"Well I said there'd be enough rooms for one of you to have your own room..." I stopped hearing her then because I became completely and totally distracted by the angel who had just walked around the side of the minivan. He had beautiful chocolate colored hair that was messy and windswept, his frame was slight and he looked fragile as a doll dressed in black skinny jeans and a T-shirt. He looked up when he reached the door and I caught his gaze. My breath was whisked away as I stared into his endless blue eyes, framed with perfect dark lashes.

"Hello," He said tentatively, and with that one word and my world collapsed around me, melting into the perfection that was his voice. That same beautiful British accent sounded a thousand times more attractive when spoken by this boy. My knees felt weak and I realized suddenly that I'd just been standing there with my mouth hanging open like some kind of idiot. Also I was in his way.

"Hi!" I said way too loudly, sounding terrible and fake even to my ears, stupid, stupid, Tyler. "I'm Tyler Oakley!" I held out my hand for him to shake, not just because I wanted to touch him, not at all. This was another stupid move, because his arms were full of boxes.

The beautiful boy carefully readjusted the boxes he was holding so he could have a free arm to shake my hand.

"It's good to meet you Mr. Oakley, I'm Troye." He said shyly, giving just the faint glimmer of a smile. Then his lashes fluttered as he broke our eye contact to grip his boxes again. His hands were so soft and delicate also startlingly cold. My insides felt like jell-o.

Thankfully I remembered to step out of the doorway so he could get past. Troye walked into the kitchen and set his boxes down on the counter. I figured as much as I wanted to stay and watch Troye for the rest of the afternoon, it would get awkward pretty soon with me just hovering about while they moved in. Definitely very weird. I decided now was a good time to make my exit. I began to walk slowly towards the stairs.

When I reached my destination I cleared my throat, "Laurelle, the keys to this door are on that hook there," I pointed to the wall by the sink where a large set of keys sat on a ring. "All the keys to other rooms are on it too, my mom er, Jackie will be home tonight so I'm sure she'll go over other stuff then." My eyes darted around nervously; I was not really used to having to give explanations to new staff. Who usually did these things? "I'll let you guys get settled, make yourselves at home!" I finished, unsure if that was enough information.

"Thanks Tyler!" Laurelle smiled seemingly satisfied with what I'd said. I relaxed a bit, turning and making my way up the stairs. Closing the basement door at the top I sighed and made my way back to my earlier position in the sunroom.

I collapsed onto the couch and flung an arm across my face. My thoughts raced with Troye, his perfect face, his magical voice, his delicate body. My face flushed, I didn't even know how old he was! He could be sixteen for all I knew! Actually I knew next to nothing about him, for example his sexuality, maybe he liked girls, maybe he was already dating someone, maybe he was asexual, maybe he was way too young for me. I groaned, at least I knew one thing, he was now living in my house and I was going to discover the answers to all my questions. Also I was pretty sure I'd just fallen in love at first sight.

 _Troye_

My eyes opened and I blinked blearily in the sunlight. The smell of the ocean wafted around me in the puffs of air blowing in from the open car windows. I struggled to sit up in the backseat of the minivan, packed in with all the boxes and luggage, wincing when something sharp jabbed into my side.

Looking out the window, the view was breathtaking. We were driving along the edge of the ocean now, the sea sparkling in the summer sun. Past houses that looked like paintings in pretty pastel colors with flowers everywhere and that probably cost more money than I'd ever make in my entire life. Some of the houses were enormous and I seriously wondered who could afford to live in such a place.

My family is from Australia, though I was born in South Africa. We'd moved around a lot as my mother tried to find work and support our family. Now my older brother Steele was in college and between the cost of living, and paying his tuition we'd needed to find a better paying job than housekeeping in Australia. So here we were in America, the land of opportunity, poised before another great change.

I watched the beautiful scenery go past and thought absently about my plans. I'd have to walk into town and see if any of the shops were hiring, I'd long since given up on the idea of school. In fact, I'd not so much given up as never had the thought in the first place. I hadn't ever set foot in a school and that didn't seem likely to change. I didn't think about the future much, I found it was a mostly depressing topic and tried to live day-to-day as much as possible.

I heard my younger siblings bickering, Tyde was still sore that Sage got to ride shotgun and he'd kept bringing it up through the entire trip. I loved my family dearly, but they sure knew how to be noisy. Somehow I'd still managed to drift off again when I heard my mother announce that we'd arrived.

Jerking upright, I pressed my face to the window. My mouth fell open. The mansion before us was more decadent than any of the others we passed on the drive. It was three stories, an enormous front porch complete with massive columns and a beautiful balustrade that led down the massive front stairs into the driveway. The driveway itself was a work of art, the ground covered with crushed white shells instead of asphalt and a perfectly manicured garden in the middle of a roundabout. Everything looked perfect; like the pictures in magazines you see of the houses of billionaires. I was half expecting Julie Andrews to come waltzing out the front door followed by a band of seven exceedingly rich children singing.

Mom pulled the car around the back of the house and parked in the small lot there. This side of the house was decidedly less grandiose, the french doors before us seemed to be the entrance to the basement apartment which was where; my mom had explained, we would be living.

"This is the hugest house I've ever seen!" Tyde exclaimed from the front seat, "are we seriously going to live here?"

"Its 'biggest' Tyde, and duh, why else would we drive all the way here with our things." Sage responded not even looking up from her phone.

"Kids, please behave yourselves. We need to be making a good first impression alright?" Mom was clearly growing tired of their antics. "Why don't you gather your things. I'll go get us in." With that she opened the car door and stepped out into the afternoon sun. She didn't bother closing the car door behind her and I could hear the bleached shell bits crunching under her feet as she walked to the door.

Tyde and Sage were quick to follow her, Tyde dashed around the back of the car and threw open the boot. I struggled to get out of my tight spot in the backseat of the van, I'd been wedged in there all day and being out of the cramped space was such a relief. I stretched, relishing in my newfound freedom.

"I'm the only girl so I get to have my own room, it's for privacy." Sage was explaining while gathering her bags from the boot, Tyde pouted as I walked around the back of the car.

"You could share with mom, I want to have my own room too! I want privacy!" Tyde complained loudly.

"Hey, you and me are gonna share buddy, I thought we agreed that would be fun!" I said rubbing my brothers arms from behind.

Tyde just kept on pouting and Sage didn't help by muttering, "It's 'you and I' Troye." She was going through some kind of grammar nazi phase, but to be honest I didn't mind that much.

"Excuse me, you and I are going to share." I corrected myself, looking at Tyde and wiggling my eyebrows. He laughed then but didn't hesitate to rush off after Sage when she headed to the door.

I took my time gathering an armload of boxes, all labeled 'kitchen' and full of pots and pans. They were surprisingly heavy and I cursed my twig-like arms. I should start working out— too bad that will never happen.

When I finished adjusting the boxes so I wouldn't drop them, I began my own walk to the door. I was watching my feet to make sure I didn't trip on something, so when I looked up I was utterly unprepared to see the person standing at the door in front of me.

He looked to be in his twenties, with soft blond hair, styled too well. His clothes were very nice and they were obviously some expensive brand. He had glasses, the kind I associated with hipsters, but they didn't look bad, in fact they were pretty cute. Actually he was undeniably good-looking. My heart beat a little faster. It just happens when I'm around attractive people. I have this weird thing that makes me want to impress them. And I certainly was feeling that around this guy.

"Hello." I said, too quietly. I likely sounded extremely shy, so much for being impressive.

"Hi!" He responded enthusiastically, "I'm Tyler Oakley!" He sounded so confident, so sure of himself. I felt even worse about my own greeting. He stuck out his hand then and I was forced to fumble about awkwardly with my armful of boxes so I could take it. His grip was firm, even his handshake emanated confidence. Great I probably looked even sillier now, why couldn't I just keep it together?

"It's good to meet you Mr. Oakley, I'm Troye." I spoke again, no more sure of myself then before. I wasn't even sure what to call him, he was technically my mom's employer so I felt the need to tread carefully and be extra formal. But what if he thought it was weird? Should I have called him Tyler? Ugh.

He moved out of the doorway and I took this as my cue to enter the house. Inside I stood in a pretty little kitchen. The walls were yellow and there were curtains on the windows, I put down the boxes I'd been holding on the counter.

"Laurelle, the keys to this door are on that hook there," Tyler was speaking again and I turned to look at him. At first I thought he was pointing at me and my heartbeat sped up considerably, before my brain registered what he'd said and I looked up to see the key ring hanging by the sink. I tried to steady my breathing.

"All the keys to other rooms are on it too, my mom er, Jackie will be home tonight so I'm sure she'll go over other stuff then." I noticed he looked uncomfortable for the first time since our meeting. "I'll let you guys get settled, make yourselves at home!" He smiled, regaining his composure.

"Thanks Tyler!" My eyes darted to my mother when she spoke, and then towards Tyler's receding back as he headed up the stairs. I felt relieved somehow, obviously I wasn't successful in making a good first impression, but with Tyler around I felt the need to try. Not that Tyler was even looking at me, still, I felt self-conscious around new people. Especially wickedly attractive new people.

I let out a breath I'd been holding and turned back to the task at hand, namely lugging boxes from the van to the apartment. We all helped, even Tyde and Sage who'd run off to explore our new home, returned to unpack. It didn't take very long to get all the boxes inside. We didn't have many things considering how often we'd moved in the past. It doesn't help to have a billion things to bring with you.

When all the boxes sat piled in the kitchen we stood around for a moment, admiring our handiwork.

"Who wants some lemonade?" My mom asked, reaching into one of the boxes on the counter and pulling out a container of lemonade mix.

"I do!" We all chorused together and then burst out laughing. We collapsed in various places about the kitchen. I sat on the island between a box of pots and pans, and one full of food cans.

"This house is truly beautiful, I feel like a princess." Sage said sincerely and Tyde nodded in agreement. "Though probably like a Cinderella type princess since we're the servants." She added a moment later.

"You mean mom is Cinderella." Tyde giggled and I smiled, it was kind of hard to imagine actually. Mom twirled around with the pitcher of lemonade pouring out glasses dramatically.

"If I'm Cinderella then you'll all have to be my little mouse helpers!" She cheered, handing me a glass.

"I'll be Gus, that really fat little mouse." I said, taking a sip of my lemonade. It tasted wonderful. This comment elicited some snickers from my family.

"I'll be the skinny one then." Tyde said.

"Who does that leave for Sage then?" I asked, not remembering the film all too well myself.

"I'm Lucifer, the cat." Sage quipped.

"Its so fitting somehow." Tyde chortled. Even mom laughed at that. I was suddenly struck by how grateful I felt, for the moment, for our fresh start, for everything I'd been given in my whole life, and for my family, here together.

 **A/N: Thank you all for reading this and I hope you continue on! As a side note, this story is also avalible on wattpad at the URL story/40448263-fortune%27s-fool-a-troyler-au so if you felt like supporting this story even more and following it on wattpad I would love that! Thank you all again, have a splendid day.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Tyler_

I spent forever trying to focus again on my assignments. Summer was almost over and school was right around the corner. Obviously most classes at university don't require work to be done over the summer but I had just taken the intro class to screenwriting and I'd be taking part two when we got back. Actually screenwriting was an exception class, I'd had a hell of a time convincing Jackie that it had any value. Its not that she doesn't appreciate the entertainment industry it's just that my career path is already laid out for me. I was studying business management, and when I graduated I would take over running the bank in place of my mother. We'd built our bank up over generations, now it had multiple branches in all the major cities. It was nothing short of a complete success and one day it would all be mine. The idea sounded less exciting every time I thought about it.

 _Screenwriting_ on the other hand, was a blast. I adored every minute, creating characters and acting them out in dramatic readings. Writing up plots of crazy fantasy worlds, it was a dream come true. Unfortunately the professor had decided it would be a good idea for us to complete a comprehensive study of Shakespeare over the summer. Like we didn't have other things to do.

To be honest, before yesterday I'd been okay with the work. It kept me from going insane from boredom. Sure I went to parties and hung out with friends but that didn't fill up my schedule entirely and there were many times where I was simply sitting around the house being a waste of space. Now though; now, I had other things that were keeping my focus. Namely a beautiful blue-eyed boy named Troye.

 _Troye._ I couldn't stop thinking about him. Knowing he was just downstairs in my house made it even harder. Laurelle had started her duties today, my mother must have covered things with her last night at some point because she was totally on top of it. Breakfast had been incredible this morning and I wasn't missing our old housekeeper at all. Laurelle was an amazing cook. Plus all the rooms looked extra clean when I'd come downstairs.

I kept my eyes open in case Troye happened to be on the first floor for some reason during the day, but I hadn't seen him once. Actually I hadn't seen any of the Mellet family save for Laurelle. I hoped they weren't intimidated into being super quiet or something.

My phone buzzed in my pocket then, shocking me out of my thoughts. I struggled to free it from its pocket prison then sighed when I saw the name on the screen. It was Jackie.

"What's up?" I answered, all hope of talking to Troye again today fading away.

"Ty, thank goodness you haven't gone out somewhere." My mom's voice was hushed and she was speaking quickly they way she does when she's stressed. I was beginning to wish I had gone out.

"I'm absolutely swamped with work right now and we're doing final screenings for new interns today. I was wondering if you'd take over for me in selecting some, we need two really great personalities. I don't trust anyone with the final decision except myself, and you'll be close enough!" I laughed at her joke but it was forced. I had no desire to screen other college kids as they nervously tried to show just how talented and special they were.

"Sure mom, I'll be right there." I heard myself say.

"Right!" She hung up. I stared at the 'call ended' message on the screen for a moment before shoving the phone back into my pocket and heading out the door.

The drive into the city took less than fifteen minutes, in my bright red mini cooper it took under eight. Pulling up to the reserved parking in the garage, I hopped out and made my way inside at a brisk pace. I didn't want to keep my mother waiting. The smooth granite and marble floors inside shone as I walked over them. I realized suddenly that I was not dressed in a terribly professional manner but I shook it off. I would take every opportunity to display my sense of fashion before I literally _had_ to wear a suit everyday. I passed groups of well dressed people who nodded politely at me, or greeted me with a formal, "Mr. Oakley," as I went by.

Taking the elevator to the fourth floor, I walked immediately to the room where I already knew the interviews were taking place. I'd memorized this building when I was five, it was like a second home to me. Which is sort of sad actually.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." I directed at the two interviewers already waiting when I came in the door. One was an older guy, probably old enough to be retired actually, and the other was a sort of strict looking woman, her hair was pulled up into a too-tight bun. "Traffic and all that." I took a seat in the empty chair beside them. They looked bored and not exactly thrilled to see me. I smiled brightly at them.

"Let the games begin?" I asked teasingly. They didn't seem to appreciate my humor though, or share any form of my positivity.

"You may let the first candidate in." The woman spoke into a an intercom, and just like that we started in.

Hours later we had seen idiots come and try to impress us with their 'uniqueness' we had seen nervous children stutter their way through answering a simple question like 'why do you want this internship?' And we had seen highly over prepared geniuses answer interview questions like robots with no personality what-so-ever. There were of course, some exceptions. My very favorite had been a boy named Connor Franta. He'd stuck in my mind because he had an interesting and unique personality, but he didn't shove it down your throat. Also he seemed chill, like he had a handle on everything but was laid back anyways. I almost envied him.

When we'd seen the last candidate out with the customary, 'we'll get back to you,' I leaned back in my swivel chair and put my feet up on the desk.

"Well I'll let you guys have your pick of the others but we're taking Franta." I said, caring not-at-all about the scornful look I was getting from the uptight woman with the bun.

"Whatever you say Mr. Oakley." She replied evenly.

"I liked that young lady, Brown was it?" The old man spoke up, and since my work was done, I didn't care for the rest of the conversation. I stood up and left. I cranked the radio on the drive home and with every love song I thought of Troye.

 _Troye_

Jackie had given my mother a full briefing last night so when I woke up, she had already been hard at work for hours. I was going to have to set an alarm. My duties today were simply to take Sage and Tyde down to their new school. It was just outside the city, and according to our mom—it was fantastic. I actually had no idea what qualified a school as a _good school_ but I'd take my mother's word about anything. Though classes didn't start for a week we were going in to meet with the principal and their new teachers and bring back any paperwork for our mom.

I climbed out of bed, careful not to wake Tyde who was snoring away peacefully across the room. I stumbled into the bathroom, finding that the mirror was all steamed up and the air smelled like Sage's shampoo. She must already be up, doing whatever beauty regimen she went through to look so spectacular. I stripped off my PJ's and jumped into the shower myself, washing away my sleepiness and emerging a thousand times more awake. Wrapped in a towel I returned to my new shared bedroom and pulled some clothes out of the box labeled 'Troye.' I spent ages debating a cute striped polo and a graphic T, finally choosing the polo because it looked more professional. I went for gray skinny jeans though that part of the outfit wasn't hard since I owned only three pairs of pants. I seriously needed to go shopping, after I made some money that is.

In our new yellow kitchen I set to work putting dishes away in cupboards, we hadn't really gotten to the the unpacking bit last night so there was plenty of work to do. Surprisingly I had most of it done when Sage walked in looking like a million bucks. She was clearly prepared for her debut at her new school, whether or not there were any other students there.

Wordlessly she moved to finish the unpacking job and I grinned at her.

"What would you like this morning? Eggs and toast? Pancakes? Waffles? Yogurt parfaits?" I asked, opening the refrigerator. Actually it looked like none of those options were a real thing.

"My bad, we don't have like, anything. How about oatmeal?" I suggested, pulling a pot out of the cupboard. Sage laughed.

"Oatmeal sounds good to me. I'll see if we have any craisins." She replied turning back to the boxes.

I got to work measuring the oatmeal out and boiling it down on our new stove. In no time at all I'd whipped out three bowls of delicious hot cereal; sprinkled with brown sugar, craisins, almonds and a splash of milk.

"I'll go wake Tyde." I volunteered. Sage just nodded, taking her breakfast to the table. Tyde was a notoriously heavy sleeper, and not a morning person. It was usually best to let him sleep for as long as possible. But our meeting was at eleven so we really needed to get going.

I managed to wake my brother by singing bad country music in his ear. He was not pleased. Though he perked up when I mentioned that breakfast was ready.

Eventually we all made it out of the apartment and into the minivan. The drive to the city took less time than I imagined it would, since I'd been unsure of the traffic situation. I insisted we use our newfound extra time to take a brisk walk down the street. I said it was an exploratory experience but in truth I just wanted to look for 'help wanted' and 'we're hiring' signs.

All three of us had never been in such a big city before and it was a little overwhelming. The buildings were enormous and reached into the sky like shining daggers. The streets were full of people dressed in suits and looking like they always had somewhere to be. The sights and smells and sounds all made me feel excited and looking at the faces of my siblings I knew I wasn't alone.

"I can't believe this is like our new home." Sage breathed finally. Tyde and I nodded in agreement. It was spectacular.

"One day I'll know this city like the back of my hand!" She added and I laughed, knowing it was the truth.

"Guys look its a real actual hotdog stand!" Tyde exclaimed, pointing.

"Its rude to point Tyde." Sage reminded him, but we both looked with rapt attention at the hotdog booth. A man in a red visor was just setting up, putting out colorful bottles of ketchup, mustard and relish on the counter. Maybe it was silly to get so excited over something so seemingly ordinary, but I didn't care. This whole place was so new and so wonderful.

"Guys its almost eleven." Sage brought us all back to reality and we quickly turned around, heading back in the direction of the school. I'd almost forgotten to the original purpose of the walk, but now on the way back I remembered to keep an eye out. Just past a gigantic bank building there was a tiny diner with a sign on the door advertizing for a new dishwasher. It looked very promising, I decided to check it out after our school visit.

The school was huge, bigger than any my siblings had attended in the past. The teachers and the principal had all been very excited and welcoming. They'd given us a tour and even explained some of the things they'd be covering throughout the year. We got the paperwork and then got out. The whole ordeal took less than an hour and a half. Sage and Tyde seemed quite excited about their new school and they didn't even complain when I asked if it was okay to go check out the diner, though it might have been partly due to the fact that they were headed off in the direction of the hotdog vendor.

Inside it was just a cute as the outside. The floor was checkered and the whole place was decorated like it was from the 1950's with records on the walls and an actual jukebox. I walked up to the counter trying to seem as confident as possible. I thought of Tyler and gave myself butterflies which didn't help.

"Hello, how can I help you?" A cute girl popped up from behind the counter, she looked like a wood elf. An elf dressed as a 1950's soda jerk that was.

"So, I saw the sign on your door advertizing for a new dishwasher. I was wondering who I need to talk to about applying for that." I said, doing my best to keep my voice steady and to not fidget around too much.

The girl's eyes widened, "Oh, hey yeah. Let me get the manager! I'm sure she'd love to talk to you. Just a second!" She held up a finger to demonstrate her point and then bounced off through a door behind the counter.

She was only gone for a moment before she reappeared, followed by a taller woman with the longest blackest hair I'd ever seen.

"Hi there! I'm Lilly, the manager!" The woman greeted me, coming around to my side of the counter.

"Hello, I'm Troye, it's good to meet you." I said, shaking her hand.

"Please, have a seat." Lilly gestured to one of the tables, I waited until she sat though, before following her.

"So, you're interested in becoming a dishwasher, is that right?" Lilly asked, leaning both her elbows on the table between us.

"Yes, that's right." I was doing my best to maintain eye contact with her. "I saw your ad on the door." I added, trying to seem less forward. Wouldn't it be weird to just walk in some place and ask for a random job?

"Well Troye, we've had that sign up for a long time so honestly I was losing hope of ever finding someone to take the job." Lilly laughed, "You can wash dishes right? Like you have experience?"

"Absolutely!" I said, "I do probably ninety percent of the dishes at home." I immediately regretted this addition to my statement, it sounded dumb and unnecessary. Also unprofessional.

"Well you're hired then!" Lilly announced clapping me on the shoulder.

"Wait... Really?" The shock must have been pretty evident on my face because Lilly laughed again. I was almost a hundred percent sure that this was not how conventional job interviews occurred.

"Yeah for real! We need a dishwasher badly, plus it always helps to hire cute staff!" She winked at me. I felt my face flush and I wasn't sure if was supposed to thank her for the complement or feel really weird about it.

"So what times are you available to work? Do you go to school around here?" Lilly asked, producing a yellow sticky note and a pen from somewhere.

"Actually I don't go to school, so I'm free basically whenever." I said nervously. This was seriously happening. I was getting a job.

Ten minutes later I emerged from the diner feeling breathless. I'd done it! I'd landed a job and I already had my schedule. I'd be working three days a week plus Saturdays, I was supposed to go in tomorrow for training. I felt like a true adult for the first time since turning eighteen.


	3. Chapter 3

_Troye_

My alarm sounded at five AM and I almost had a heart attack at the noise. I jumped into a sitting position and with my heart beating wildly I scrambled to turn off the alarm so it wouldn't wake Tyde. I sat for a moment in bed trying to calm my nerves. Normally I was not one to get up a five in the morning but today was Sage and Tyde's first day of school and mom was driving them in. That meant that someone had to make breakfast for the Oakleys and take care of all mom's morning work.

I climbed out of bed and hurried to get ready. I'd already picked out my clothes the night before because I hadn't felt like wasting a billion years deliberating what to wear at an ungodly hour of the morning. A dark blue button down shirt and my black skinny jeans I'd worn on the day I met Tyler Oakley. The shirt was fairly new and it still gave me that happy feeling you get when you put on clothes you've just bought and aren't sick of yet. It was enough to overlook the fact that Tyler would probably assume I had only one pair of pants. Why did I even think he'd notice? That's stupid, it's not like he cares about me at all, we don't even know each other.

I shook away my silly thoughts and headed out into into the hall. I made a pit stop at the bathroom to quickly style my hair and brush my teeth. I felt nervous as hell for some reason, like I'd just injected myself with caffeine. My heartbeat was erratic and I tired to practice deep breaths in the mirror. I was so startled by a knock on the bathroom door that I dropped my toothbrush into the sink.

"Troye other people need the bathroom too, people who are actually going somewhere today!" It was Sage's voice, no doubt she wanted to get ready for school. I opened the door and slipped into the hallway where she was standing with her towel.

"Sorry," I muttered and turned towards the yellow kitchen. Mom was already bustling about, making breakfast for my siblings. When I walked in she smiled.

"You look good this morning," she said and I grinned since it was the effect I was hoping for. "Too bad you'll have to cover it up with an apron." She commented, wait what was this?

"An apron?" I asked incredulously.

"That's right, I'm pretty sure I have extras but I haven't been able to find any except that one." She pointed to a frilly white thing draped over a chair.

"Seriously?" I whispered, running my fingertips over the fabric and looking at her.

"No one's going to judge someone who's making them breakfast." She said absently, turning back to the eggs she was frying. "Now get on up there, Jackie gets up at six and food better be ready by then."

I stopped caring about the apron then and just tied it on quickly. "What's the coffee again? Two spoons of sugar?" I asked, running through the list of things mom had mentioned last night. I was only asking as a precaution since I was so nervous, I actually have an incredible memory.

"Troye you know all this stuff, just trust yourself." My mom rubbed my shoulders and I gave her a smile before mounting the stairs.

I hadn't actually been in the upstairs part of the house yet since I'd been incredibly busy with my new job for the past week. Dishwashing turned out to be a ton of work but it was fun and everyone was super nice. Zoe—the girl I'd met on the day of my interview was amazingly sweet and I felt like we'd been friends forever after just one shift.

Closing the door to the basement quietly, I gasped at the house before me. Taking care of my first job and gathering the paper from outside the front door I got to see just how huge the place was. Even as I walked to the kitchen I couldn't stop staring at everything. The house was literally straight out of a magazine, everything was perfectly in place. It was almost eerie, like the house wasn't lived in at all.

If the lounge in between the basement door and the kitchen was perfect, the kitchen was immaculate. It was enormous with shiny granite countertops, the stove was huge and perfectly clean. There was an island where several tall stools rested, and even a wall fixture full of different vintage wines. Cooking in this place seemed beyond intimidating. I gulped and began my search for dishes and ingredients.

Once I got to work it started being fun. I decided to make french toast with fresh berries and canadian bacon. It was a fairly simple breakfast actually so I started by brewing the coffee. Too intimidated by the electric coffee maker I used the french press which I thought would go with my theme anyways. Hopefully the resulting coffee wouldn't taste too different. I had Jackie's plate finished just in time as she walked into the kitchen.

"Something smells wonderful." She said and took a seat at the island. She was dressed very business chic, her clothes probably cost a fortune but she looked wickedly professional. I gulped.

"Good morning Ms. Oakley!" I said, trying not to let my nerves show. What if she didn't like my food? What if she was mad that I was doing my mom's job? I brought the plate and her coffee over and set it in front of her.

"This looks incredible," Jackie announced when I laid out the breakfast. She took a bite of the toast and I held my breath, praying that she'd be okay with it. He eyes fluttered closed and she made a long humming sound. "This is the best french toast I've ever eaten." She exclaimed, "Where did you learn to cook like that?" She seemed genuinely amazed and I felt sort of glowy with pride.

"Thank you, my mother taught me." I replied, looking at my shoes.

"She better be careful or you'll be cooking all the meals!" Jackie said, and I panicked. She couldn't take away mom's job! Then I realized she was only joking and I laughed nervously. God I was a wreck.

"Whats your name?" Jackie asked while unfolding the paper and glancing over the headlines.

"Its Troye ma'am." I said. She nodded; her attention on the paper.

"I hope everything's alright with Laurelle." She asked, looking up at me finally.

"Oh she's doing great, just busy this morning." I answered hurriedly. Jackie hummed noncommittally and return to her reading. I figured this was my cue to start working on Tyler's breakfast. When I was just putting the toast onto a plate I heard Jackie get up from the counter. I turned over my shoulder to watch her finish off the last of her coffee.

"Thank you for the excellent food Troye, I do hope we get to taste your cooking again someday." I smiled at her.

"Have a good day Ms. Oakley!" I gave a little wave and she smiled back at me before leaving the kitchen. I cleaned her dishes off the counter and put them in the sink before starting the task of arranging blueberries and cut strawberries on Tyler's plate. I didn't even hear him come in but my head snapped around at the sound of a stool scraping across the floor.

"Good morning Mr. Oakley." I addressed him formally. God he looked flawless this morning. He was wearing a white muscle shirt that was just a tiny bit see-through, and his hair was messy from sleep. I felt the hint of a blush creeping across my cheeks so I turned back around to face my work.

"I didn't know we hired a new maid." I heard him say and suddenly I felt terrible. Obviously he didn't like that I was taking my mom's place.

"I'm really sorry its so inconvenient, Laurelle is busy this morning though." I said turning to face him, I was honestly terrified of what he might do next. What if he was really angry or something? Then he laughed.

"It'll only be inconvenient if your food sucks." He grinned, and this time I knew he was joking. I smiled with relief.

"I guess you can be the judge of that." I said sprinkling the food with pinch of confectionary sugar and bringing it over to him. His eyes actually widened significantly when he saw the presentation and my heart lept into my throat.

"W-would you like some coffee?" I cursed my stupid stammering voice and locked my eyes onto the countertop. Not wanting to see his face in case he was judging me.

"Yeah I'd love some." He replied and I hurried to pour him a mug.

"Do you want cream and sugar?" I asked next, setting down the coffee pot.

"Troye." The seriousness of his voice had my heart racing, and breathing felt difficult. I snapped to attention.

"Yes?" I squeaked, my voice coming out higher than necessary and sounding like a child. There was a beat of silence in which the tension grew to a head. Then Tyler spoke again.

"Your french toast is probably the best thing I have ever put in my mouth." He was grinning at me now and my chest gave an uncomfortable squeeze. If I'd felt proud when Jackie said she liked my food it was nothing compared to now. I was positively on cloud nine.

"Really?" I asked breathlessly.

"I think you should be my personal chef and just cook french toast for me all day every day." I knew this was my cue to laugh but the idea of spending everyday cooking for Tyler was giving me a strange feeling so I just managed a 'thank you,' before blushing furiously. If he noticed he didn't say anything.

"Oh yeah, cream and sugar. Just one spoonful." He answered my previous question and I jumped back into making up his coffee.

"So where is your family from?" Tyler asked, clearly just making conversation.

"Um, we're from Australia." I answered, deciding to just go with the simple explanation.

"Ah, that explains the accent." Tyler commented. I handed him his coffee and he nodded in thanks.

"So what have you been up to this past week, you haven't been holed up in the basement have you?" He asked, our eyes meeting for the first time since the day we moved in. I couldn't tell if he was just making small talk, or if he was genuinely interested.

"I was out actually," I said, leaving it at that, not wanting to bore him with my life if he didn't really care that much.

"How old are you?" The question was wickedly odd, and seemingly came from nowhere. Tyler was officially an incredibly confusing human being.

"I'm eighteen." I answered, deciding not to read into it at all. Actually, I was sort of curious how old he was too. I almost asked him but I felt like I wasn't exactly in a position to be asking him personal questions.

"Are you in high school then?" Tyler asked, I shook my head.

"I've never gone to school." Okay, I think maybe this conversation was going beyond the realm of small talk.

"Wait seriously? Never?" He seemed so shocked. I just shook my head. I felt horribly self-conscious. Of course I'm just a dumb poor kid who'd never attended school and will probably never amount to anything. While he; he was Tyler Oakley, poised on the verge of owning the world's most successful bank and inheriting billions. Now that I thought about it, it was amazing that he was even talking to me at all.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make such a big deal out of it. It must have been nice not having to put up with all that school work!" Tyler laughed and I forced myself to join him.

I would have done anything to have gone to school; the things Tyde and Sage talked about sounded like a dream. I wanted to learn, I wanted to make friends and have crazy drama and go to prom. But obviously that was not my lot in life, I had to learn to be satisfied with what I had. It was selfish of me to want anything more. After all, our mom had given up her life for us. She worked everyday to support us and to give us the best opportunities she could manage. She needed help and I swore I would always be the one to give it to her. So while my siblings got their education and went off to do big things with their lives, I would be behind them, in the wings. Giving them support. Still, it hurt when Tyler made it sound like not going to school was my first choice.

I walked to the sink and started on the dishes, suddenly Tyler came up beside me and put his plate and cup down.

"Well Troye, thank you for an amazing breakfast." He paused and seemed to be making his mind up about something. Then he added, "I hope we can spend more time together in the future." I blushed at his words and kept my eyes totally focused on the dishes. The prince wanted to spend more time with me? What was this? I wasn't even Cinderella! I cringed at this thought since my mom was supposed to be Cinderella and picturing my mom and Tyler was not a pleasant thought.

"Y-yeah, that'd be cool." What a brilliant thing to say Troye, seriously; A plus work here.

"Oh yeah, Troye?" I turned at his voice and saw that he had all but entirely left, he was leaning his head around the wall.

"You look cute in that apron." He winked at me, and then he was gone. I stood there, paralyzed in his kitchen, holding a soapy sponge while the water ran in the sink behind me.

 _Tyler_

Stumbling out of bed in the morning, I struggled to make myself decent enough to go downstairs. Although Laurelle had been working for a week now, I didn't really feel we were close enough for me to just walk into the kitchen in only my boxer shorts. I threw on a pair of sweatpants and a muscle shirt. Collecting my glasses from my bedside table, I scurried down to breakfast. I was ravenous.

Even before reaching the kitchen I could smell the food, some mix of spices and coffee had my stomach rumbling. I sped up, running my fingers through my hair in an attempt to make it look at least half decent before I walked through the archway into the other room. I stopped dead in my tracks. I had been expecting Laurelle, in her freshly pressed dress, calling out a greeting and maybe starting up a conversation about how university classes were starting up again today. Instead a beautiful fairy boy was arranging fruit on a plate of french toast. My head was not working especially well since it was so early for me to be up and now I felt dizzy and weak in the knees. Still I managed to pull out a stool at the island and take a seat. Troye looked up at the sound.

"Good morning Mr. Oakley!" He said with the most adorable smile, his cheeks turned slightly pink and then he turned back around to his work. My heart was melting, then I noticed what he was wearing. An apron. Not just any apron either, a full-on white lacy frilly maid apron. I almost choked on my own spit. Troye, wearing an apron, making me breakfast. Had I died in my sleep last night and gone to heaven?

"I didn't realize we hired a new maid." I said, realizing only after the fact that this comment sounded awfully rude. Damn my stupid inability to interact with people in a way that isn't teasing! I felt terrible when I saw his shoulders stiffen, he faced me again.

"I'm really sorry its so inconvenient, Laurelle is busy this morning though." He looked so nervous, like he thought I might beat him up or something for doing his mom's job. My heart was wracked with guilt. Why was I so stupid?

"It'll only be inconvenient if your food sucks." I grinned, trying to show him I was only joking. Thankfully he seemed to get it and he smiled back.

"I guess you can be the judge of that." He said, taking the plate of food and sprinkling it with powdered sugar. I imagined he was covering it with fairy dust. When he set it in front of me I noticed how beautiful everything looked, like it had been made by a professional chef. The fruit was arranged artfully atop perfectly golden-brown french toasts, finished with the sprinkled sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup. Not to mention bacon, yum.

"W-would you like some coffee?" Troye asked, his eyes were locked on the countertop. He was nervous again and I wanted more than anything to erase his doubts. What made this boy so unsure of himself?

"Yeah I'd love some." I answered his question and watched as he poured some into a mug for me. Interestingly he was using some kind of coffee maker I'd never seen in my entire life. It looked old-fashioned and a billion times more classy than a normal electric one. I took a bite of my french toast and suddenly all I could think about was how delicious it was. I had the urge to shove all of it into my face because I didn't think I'd ever eaten something so incredible.

"Do you want cream and sugar?" I barely even registered the question because I was trying to formulate the best way to tell Troye I wanted to lock him in my room and have him make french toast for me everyday for the rest of my life.

"Troye." I said very seriously.

"Yes?" He snapped to attention and the anxious expression he gave me made all the air leave my lungs. His voice came out high pitched and adorable. I hurried fix the situation.

"Your french toast is probably the best thing I have ever put in my mouth." I gave him a huge smile to show my sincerity and it must have worked because the tension slowly dissipated from his body.

"Really?" His voice came out quiet and breathless. I shuddered slightly. What was this kid doing to me?

"I think you should be my personal chef and just cook french toast for me all day every day." I congratulated myself on the minimal creepiness of the phrasing I used.

"Thank you." He was blushing noticeably now, the pink dusting his cheeks in just the perfect way. I felt strange to have been the one to make him blush like that. I wanted to do it again, and again forever. I remembered his previous question then though I wondered if he did.

"Oh yeah, cream and sugar. Just one spoonful." I answered him, and he quickly busied himself with making up the coffee. I decided to take this moment to start finding out what Troye's deal was, to start answering all the questions I had about him. Starting with his beautiful accent.

"So where is your family from?" This was good, a simple question. The perfect casual conversation starter.

"Um, we're from Australia." He answered, seemingly totally engrossed in stirring my coffee.

"Ah, that explains the accent." It did, and it was not British after all. He handed me the mug with my drink and I gave him a nod, not willing to interrupt my flow to thank him properly.

"So what have you been up to this past week, you haven't been holed up in the basement have you?" Honestly I wanted to know everything, every minute of his day. I wanted to know all the thoughts he had from the moment he woke up to the minute he fell asleep. But I figured this was as far as our current relationship would let me go. I looked into his gorgeous blue eyes and felt lost.

"I was out actually." My hopes sank through the floor with his short response, was he truly so guarded that he wouldn't tell me more than that? Or maybe he thought I wasn't genuinely interested. It was frustrating but I decided to just let it drop. Suddenly I remembered the most important thing that I absolutely had to know.

"How old are you?" I blurted, not bothering to make a good transition in the conversation, I was desperate to know. I held my breath for his answer.

"I'm eighteen." Eighteen. Eighteen. It echoed in my brain. It was possible. He was barely an adult but just by looking at him you'd think he was way younger. Silently I celebrated this tiny victory. It wouldn't be _that_ weird to date an eighteen year-old.

"Are you in highschool then?" This was another important thing to know, I was waiting for him to tell me where he went to school when he shook his head.

"I've never gone to school." I didn't even try to hide my shock. In all my twenty four years of living I had not heard of a single human being who had not gone to school at all. And Troye seemed like the kind of person who would do well in school. Obviously I was a bad judge of character.

"Wait seriously? Never?" I wanted him to affirm it again, just to be sure I hadn't misheard him or something. He only shook his head and he wouldn't meet my eyes. I then realized way too late that this was a touchy subject and I had not only touched it, I'd practically beaten it to a pulp.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make such a big deal out of it. It must have been nice not having to put up with all that school work!" I tried to lighten the mood and fix some of the damage I'd done but when I heard his forced laugh, it was obvious I was only rubbing salt in the wound. I felt horrible. I'd managed to totally alienate him in under two minutes of conversation. That's probably a personal best. He had on the most hurt expression and I was sure he was about to cry. The guilt was crushing and I was almost glad when he turned to go wash the dishes, just so I wasn't looking straight at all the damage I'd caused. I waited exactly two seconds before I decided I'd never survive without mending some of the shattered bond we'd been working on.

I brought my dishes up to the counter beside him and set them down. I took a deep breath and looked at the side of his face as he focused on the sink.

"Well Troye, thank you for an amazing breakfast." I said hoping to remind him that he was still an incredible cook and that his talents were not forgotten. I weighed my next words carefully before speaking.

"I hope we can spend more time together in the future." Troye's eyes grew wider and the blush returned to his cheeks. I indulged in a mental fist pump. I was making progress! I left him then, making it all the way to the archway separating the kitchen and the lounge when he responded.

"Y-yeah, that'd be cool." Cool? He said it would be cool! Did that mean this perfect fairy boy wanted to spend more time with me, the stupid oaf who just made him so upset? My heart skipped a beat. Incredibly my flirtatious personality seemed to act up on its own and I ducked my head back around the wall after exiting the kitchen.

"Oh yeah, Troye?" He turned away from the dishes and met my eyes. I spoke quickly before he could even respond.

"You look cute in that apron." I winked and then ducked behind the wall without witnessing his reaction. I didn't think I could handle it.


	4. Chapter 4

_Tyler_

Microeconomics was not holding my attention today and I found myself staring dreamily out the window. The lecture continued at the front of the room and my laptop sat in front of me, I had a word document open to take notes but I hadn't put anything down. The way Troye had looked this morning, his blushing face, _that apron. He turned to face me, holding his delicious homemade french toast. He wasn't just wearing the apron this time, it was the full maid outfit, fluffy dress, stockings with garters, lace and frills. Perfect. he looked so good. So sweet and young and pretty. "Good morning master!"_ Okay, maybe that was going a bit far.

I shook my head vigorously as if it would clear away my dirty fantasy. I'd have to remember to tell him to start calling me Tyler, no more of this formal "Mr. Oakley" stuff. It was messing with my head. The last thing I needed was to be thinking about Troye like he was actually my maid. Mmm it was such a good fantasy though.

When the class finally got out, it was afternoon. I was exhausted but I knew that I had to go to work and meet the new intern I'd hired. He was supposed to get some training today.

In my car it took no time at all to pull into my usual parking spot. Turning off the engine and getting out, my stomach rumbled unpleasantly. I still hadn't eaten lunch and it was nearing three o'clock. I decided to stop by the diner next door, I hadn't been there in awhile but I loved their burgers.

I admired the cute 50's paraphernalia when I walked in the door. There were a surprising number of people eating inside and even a short line to order. I looked over the menu while I waited.

"Zoe—I'm sorry, can you tell me where the new garbage bags are?" My head snapped up at the familiar voice. He couldn't possibly be here?

Sure enough, there was Troye, behind the counter. He was listening intently to something the waitress was saying, and he was wearing a white T-shirt and bright red suspenders along with one of those 50's malt shop hats. He was so adorable my chest felt tight. But what was he doing working here? _He's allowed to have a job Tyler,_ I thought to myself and then felt guilty. I guess this was what he was so busy with last week.

Selfishly, I wanted him to look over and notice me. I wanted him to get flustered when he saw me, I wanted it so badly I actually called out to him.

"Hey, Troye! I didn't know you worked here!" I was rewarded instantly when he turned with a look of surprise.

"M-Mr. Oakley." He stuttered and I felt like all the air had left my lungs. How can one person even be so cute all the time? It was like he was breaking some law by being so attractive. His hair was messy and stray curls hung out of his flawless quiff, the 50's outfit would have looked silly on anyone else but, on him it was perfect. He was perfect.

I walked up to talk with him, ignoring the people in line in front of me. I wasn't technically cutting since I didn't plan on ordering. I leaned my elbows on the counter.

"When did you start working here?" I inquired, looking up at him over the rims of my glasses.

"Uh, um I... I just started last week." He was insanely flustered, his eyes darted back towards the kitchen doors and then flickered to Zoe, who was now serving a customer.

"What's your job? Are you the garbage boy?" I asked, hoping to get a reaction with this little dig at him.

"I'm just a... just a dishwasher." He answered not even seeming to notice my teasing, I began to feel a little irritated that he was refusing to give me his full attention. I opened my mouth to ask another question when he interrupted me.

"Please Mr. Oakley, I'm really sorry but I have to get back to work now." He looked at me and I could suddenly see his anxiety, and his desperation reflected in his eyes. This job meant a lot to him, who was I to keep him from his work? What if he got in trouble for spending time talking to me? I felt immediately felt terrible for being so selfish. Here I was, a privileged rich kid who was handed authority and power on a silver platter, while Troye had to work for everything I took for granted. And I still had the audacity to feel hurt when he didn't give me his full attention. I was like a spoiled two year old.

"Right yeah, sorry." I backtracked quickly, "hey I'll catch you later." I tried to keep my easy-going demeanor even while my mind was reeling. Relief flashed over Troye's face and he nodded to me before hurrying into the kitchen.

I took my place in line again but I didn't feel especially hungry anymore. I was thinking about life and about people and mostly about choice. Troye had unknowingly given me a lot to consider. What would it be like to have to work for things? I wasn't sure I really wanted to know.

My burger was incredible but I could hardly register the taste as I walked through the halls towards the conference room. Connor was waiting outside the doors. I could tell it was him because he was the only nervous college-age kid standing around holding a coffee order, everyone else looked like they had someplace to be and were way too busy. I decided to try and ignore all thoughts of Troye and of privilege until I was finished with work, it would only be an incredible distraction.

"Hey you're Connor Franta right?" I inquired as I approached him. He looked up at me with barely contained relief.

"That's me." He replied and reached out for a handshake. I held my burger in one hand and shook his hand with the other.

"Nice to meet you Connor, I'm Tyler."

"I've heard of you." He said in a rush and I noticed for the first time how enamoured he seemed.

"Please don't go looking up to me or anything, we'll get nowhere." I stated, deciding that I wanted Connor to be my friend and not a worshiper. He nodded in response.

"Right so, I'm supposed to be training you or something. Honestly you're probably more qualified than I am for this job so we'll see how this goes." I gestured to the conference room. "First order of business is this meeting, we're evaluating this investment opportunity after they present, I trust you know this?" Honestly I didn't, I assumed he had no idea what was happening and was startled when he fumbled around in his bag before producing a folder.

"They're called Green Productions and they're a company that focuses on decreasing carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions through the creation of indie films." My eyes widened, he'd researched them? "I've collected everything from film reviews to their GDP and I took loads of notes..." He trailed off, and I let out a low whistle.

"I'm going to be honest Connor, _I_ didn't even know who was coming in to present." His face fell like he'd done something wrong. I held up my hands, hurrying to reassure him. I was shocked because again; I never worked for this stuff. I didn't apply to this job, I didn't take notes, I didn't do research. I wasn't worried about keeping my place here because it was guaranteed to me. Connor had probably worked hard his whole life, studying and striving for these achievements. His internship was a big deal for him, and truly—it should be for me too. Had these motivated, hardworking people been around me my whole life?

 _Yes, yes they have._ Troye had just brought them to my attention. For the first time in my life I looked at the people around me and I admired them, I saw how brightly everyone was shining and for once I felt dim. At the same time, the feeling was powerfully motivational, and I knew that from this moment on, things needed to start changing.

 _Troye_

After Tyler had gone it took me several minutes of furious dishwashing to calm my pounding heart. I felt wickedly awful for basically telling him to leave. I prayed he wasn't angry. What if he told Jackie I'd been rude to him? What if he stopped talking to me altogether? My brow was sweaty and I rubbed it with my arm. I felt hot and feverish. Somehow the I made it through until the end of my shift but by that time my face was practically burning off.

"Hey, are you feeling alright? You look kind of pale..." Zoe looked at me with concern as we both clocked out. The lights were mostly turned off and all around the dining area the chairs had been flipped up on top of the tables. The whole place felt empty and sad—though in my current state it was just a bit surreal.

"I'm fine, just a little tired." I smiled at her, as if this would help convince her of my lie. She smiled back.

"Go home and get some rest then!" She chided, pushing me in the direction of the door.

"Okay okay," I held up my hands in surrender and walked to the exit on my own. "See you on Wednesday!" I called back to her.

Outside it looked as though here had been an afternoon rain, the streets were slick with water that shone under the neon lights of the city. I walked to the bus stop feeling progressively worse. I can't get sick, I don't have the time. Seriously I was fine and tomorrow I would be back to one hundred percent again. I sat down on the bench under the plastic awning and watched the cars rush past on the street before me.

Finally the bus pulled up to the curb and I climbed on, dropping my money into the slot. I found a seat near the back, the bus was mostly empty this time of night. I leaned my burning forehead against the cool glass of the window, closing my eyes as I felt an unnatural weariness creep over me.

The walk from the second bus station to home was torture, I felt weak and dizzy and dreamlike. I fumbled with the keys for a full minute before getting the door open and stumbling inside. The apartment was dark and I switched on the light over the sink to pour myself an enormous glass of water. I debated just collapsing into bed without showering but I figured if I had any chance of getting better overnight then getting clean was an essential first step.

The warm water felt incredible and one I was in, I didn't want to get out. Finally tiredness won out and I headed to my bedroom. Tyde was asleep and I could hear him snoring softly in the darkness. I fumbled around for my pajama and struggled to pull them on, suddenly I was freezing and as I snuggled down under my blankets nothing seemed warm enough.

That night it took me ages to fall asleep, I had massive chills and even bundled up under my winter comforter I wasn't warm enough. I awoke several times to find I was either still freezing, or I was drenched in sweat. She at last I managed to hold on to sleep, it was fitful and I had strange dreams.

However when at last I opened my eyes to the bright sunlit world of the morning, the fever seemed to have broken and all that remained to prove it had happened at all was my vague memory of the event and an odd tickling in my throat like I might have a light cough. I was insanely relieved.

I walked into the kitchen to find that it was empty. Sage and Tyde must have left already for school. Mom was no doubt making breakfast for the Oakley's or doing some other chore.

I had a breakfast of fruit and a glass of water. I wanted to do everything in my power to fight off whatever crazy sickness I'd had last night. Since there was nothing else for me to do I decided to go find my mom and see if she needed any help. Jackie and Tyler surely would be gone by now. Upstairs, I found my mother in the laundry folding towels.

"Morning mom." I greeted her quietly, she turned to face me and smiled.

"Jackie tells me I'll have to watch out or you'll be doing all the cooking." She ruffled my hair playfully.

"I hope not, yesterday was enough stress for me thanks." I stated wearily.

"So what are you up to today? No work?" She asked, putting the last towel on the stack.

"Yeah no work, do you need help with anything up here?"

"As a matter of fact I could use a little assistance. If you could go and collect all the bedding from upstairs, I'm planning to wash them today." She instructed, already setting up a new load of laundry in the washer.

"Warning; it might take awhile, I have no idea where anything is." I cautioned, already moving to leave the laundry.

"I'll come looking if you're not back before dinner." Mom said seriously and I laughed.

Finding the stairs was not hard, they were right in front of the main door spiraling up on both sides of the entry hall, I decided to try my luck with the left staircase. Halfway up I realized that both of the staircases led up to the same balcony landing at the top. You know you're rich when you can have two staircases that lead to the same place.

I went along the hall then opening doors and peeking into rooms. I passed a lounge with an enormous flat-screen TV, a luxurious office space, and a library, before I found my first bedroom. Going inside, I knew instantly that this must be Tyler's room.

The first thing I noticed was the smell, it was the scent of some expensive foreign cologne. I couldn't place what it smelled like except that if anyone asked me I would say it was the exact smell of Tyler. Not just that it was the scent he used, it complimented his personality perfectly. The second thing I noticed was that the floor was pretty messy. There were books and papers and clothing spread all over and I was careful not to step on anything. The walls were covered with posters and photos and maps, there was an obvious aesthetic too, everything on the walls had a specific place and I got that hipster vibe again. The bed was by far the most impressive thing it the room. It was a full king size, the duvet looked like silk and I could see at least five pillows from where I stood by the door. I walked closer to it and ran my fingers over the blankets, they felt light and impossibly soft. Already feeling guilty I glanced back towards the door, like someone might walk in on me any minute. I gave in after that and slowly laid down sideways on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Even though there were several expensive light fixtures above me, the thing that caught my interest the most were the collections of white fairy lights that wound around the edge of the room. Laying on the bed was like laying on a cloud, Tyler must truly feel like a prince to sleep on something so comfortable. I sat up begrudgingly and decided that as soon as I had money to spend on something frivolous, I would get some fairy lights.

Realization suddenly struck me. Why was I letting myself sit around creepily in Tyler's room? I quickly gathered his bedding and stepped back out into the hallway with a furious blush on my cheeks.

 **A/N: I just wanted to give a thank you to Angel Goldheart for being my very first reviewer, you are a blessing! It was super good to know that someone actually wants more of this story, it's much more motivating to write when I know that people care—so thank you! Also thank you to everyone who read this, you are lovely lovely people.**


	5. Chapter 5

_Tyler_

Working with Connor felt like going to someone else's birthday party where they spent the entire event giving you gifts and feeding you their cake. Basically I was getting a lot of credit for everything Connor did. And it seemed like Connor didn't notice. Or he was very good at hiding his emotions. I wasn't sure which I prefered. Either way by the end of the day we had accomplished easily three times what I could normally get done and I felt fairly certain I had a new friend.

"So you'll be here again tomorrow?" We were walking out through the parking garage to our cars, I was feeling tired but completely satisfied for the first time since I'd had to work at the bank.

"Yeah, I guess we have some budget meetings on the schedule." His forehead wrinkled with worry, "look are you sure you want me helping with something as important as that?" His concern was almost laughable at this point and I did just that.

"Dude if anyone shouldn't be making those decisions it's me. You're probably now our most valuable asset, I'm sure whatever suggestions you bring to the table are going to be well worthwhile." He blushed when I finished and we stopped walking since we'd reached my car.

"Thanks Tyler, I really appreciate you helping me out like this." He was looking down at his shoes, obviously embarrassed. It was sort of sweet.

"Hey no problem, you're my right hand man now Franta, so you better stick around." I clapped him on the shoulder and he shot me a huge grin.

"Don't worry, I'd never turn down such a great opportunity."

"See you tomorrow then." I opened my car door and slid inside giving him a little wave as I pulled out. Maybe I'd talk to someone about getting him a parking place next to mine. It really didn't seem fair to make him struggle to find parking like everyone else.

Once I'd reached home it was incredibly late and I went directly up to my room feeling more tired than ever. I got ready for bed all in a rush and then collapsed into my pillows. I was so exhausted I didn't even dream.

The next morning I came downstairs to Laurelle's coffee cake and scrambled eggs. I was a little disappointed that Troye wasn't cooking again but I hadn't exactly been expecting him to.

"Morning Tyler, did you sleep well?" Laurelle greeted me pleasantly. We'd sort of gotten to know each other over the past week and talking to her was now a daily routine. She was washing dishes she I sat down.

"Yup, slept like a rock." I answered, taking a bite of eggs.

"And how was work yesterday? Is that new intern all you wanted him to be?" I'd told her about Connor but I hadn't expected her to remember. I swallowed my food.

"Actually he's sort of taken my expectations and written a fifty page essay on why they should be higher while simultaneously giving me a back massage and buying me coffee." Laurelle looked surprised and then she laughed.

"I guess he's a keeper then?" She questioned jokingly. I nodded.

"I think they should just fire me and get him as my replacement." I took a sip of coffee and we settled into a comfortable silence for a moment. Her washing dishes and me eating my breakfast. I was actually thinking of the best way to turn the conversation around to her son.

"So I saw Troye the other day. I guess he got a job at that 50's diner downtown?" I stated it like a question though I knew the answer very well.

"That's right, he just started but he's working four days a week." Laurelle sighed and she turned while drying her hands on a dish cloth.

"I worry about him sometimes. He's always working so hard to help me, I just feel like he never does anything else." The concern in her voice sounded so raw and helpless, I wanted to give her a hug. Before I could even say something to reply she spoke again.

"Can I ask you a favor Tyler?" Her eyes fixated on me and I could do nothing but nod.

"Now that we live here and you'll be around him, do you think you could be a friend to Troye? God knows he needs one." My face remained solemn but on the inside I was celebrating. Troye's mother had basically given me her blessing to spend time with her son. Her perfect, angel, blessing of a son. Would I be a friend to Troye?

"Nothing would make me happier." I replied—except perhaps if one day we got to be a little more than friends. She broke into a smile.

"You're a sweet kid Tyler, thank you for looking out for him. It really means a lot. I don't think Troye's ever had a true friend before."

I tried to keep the shock off my face. Troye had never had a friend before? How had someone so sweet and beautiful managed to never make a single friend? My emotions were going crazy and I suddenly felt like I might die if I didn't get to see Troye again—like right now.

"A-actually, does Troye have work today?" I blurted. Laurelle's eyes went wide and then she laughed.

"He does, he works Mondays Wednesdays Fridays and Saturdays but today he gets off around three I think. I guess he's a little difficult to spend time with..."

I was surprised at how much he was working but I refused to let it show. Besides I had classes this morning so I'd just drop by afterwards. I was determined now to start getting to know Troye, I had his mother's permission what else do I need?

"No that works out great, I'll drive him home from work since I'll be finishing up around then too." Technically that was a lie—but now I had Connor to cover for me so I wasn't worried about ditching.

"That's so wonderful of you Tyler! I'm sure he'll appreciate not having to take the bus. As long as it's not too much trouble." Laurelle was beaming and for once I felt like I was doing something right.

"Seriously, it's no trouble at all." I was pretty sure there was nothing I wanted to do more than to drive Troye home from work.

 _Troye_

I walked down the rotting wooden stairs at the back of the diner and looked up at the sky. It was only afternoon and I felt exhilarated to have the entire rest of the day before me. Exiting the alleyway onto the bright sidewalk I was met with a sight that was entirely unexpected. Tyler Oakley—leaning casually on the side of his bright red Mini Cooper, my mouth dropped open before I could stop myself. He smiled and waved me over.

"Hey Troye, need a ride?" He was wearing a casual blazer and nice slacks like some chic businessman, his hair looked perfect, his confidence was on point and I felt only too aware of my own shabby appearance. My hair was a mess—stray strands floating everywhere, and I was still in my super dorky uniform with the red suspenders. I nervously ran a hand through my hair in an attempt at a nonchalant quick-fix. It probably only made things worse.

"H-hey, Mr. Oakley." My eyes were glued to the sidewalk even as I approached him. My mind filled with a million questions. How did he know I'd be here? Why was he here in the first place? Why did he always look so hot? Why couldn't I execute a proper sentence without stuttering like a complete fool?

"Were you just going back home or did you have something else to do first?" He was already opening the passenger door for me and it really began to register that he was offering me a ride.

"You don't have to give me a ride! I mean I normally take the bus—I don't want to be a bother-"

"Shh." He put a finger to my lips, successfully silencing my rambling. My cheeks felt hot.

"Look I just got out of work which is nearby and I happen to be heading in the same direction as you, don't you think it makes sense?" I nodded dumbly at him and just took a seat in the car when he gestured for me. Who was I to argue with a prince? I admired the beautiful interior of the car while he walked around to the driver's side.

"So we could go straight home, or there's this awesome little ice cream place I know of. It's not far from here. Wanna grab some?" He looked over at me enthusiastically and then seemingly remembered something. "It's my treat of course!" He added. Tyler Oakley was offering to buy me ice cream? This afternoon could not have felt stranger.

"Are you sure? I can pay for it myself." I didn't want to burden him with having to pay.

"Just tell me if you want some and I'll take care of the rest." He grinned and it was stunning and bright like the sun.

"I-I'd love some." I said quietly, "and thanks that's really nice of you."

"I needed some excuse to spend time with you." He quipped cheekily with a wink in my direction and I felt my face grew even redder, why does he say things like that? We were heading along an unfamiliar road by now, shooting past city buildings and crowded sidewalks.

"Here is it," He pulled his car up to the curb and hopped out quickly. I was slower to unfasten my seatbelt and by the time I'd gotten it undone he'd gone around to my side and opened my door for me.

"Thanks." I whispered as I climbed out. The ice cream shop was an adorable store front, it had a big porch painted a baby blue and flowers seemed to grow on every available surface. We mounted the steps. I held the door open for Tyler if only to make him be the one saying thank you, I was starting to sound like a broken record.

"Do you have a favorite flavor?" He asked as we scanned the options while waiting in line.

"Um, I like to see what there is—some places have special flavors and I like to try things I haven't before." I answered, suddenly feeling shy. Was I talking too much? I kept my eyes glued to the menu board.

"Huh, that's actually really cool." Tyler replied, I could feel him looking at me but I tried to ignore it. Then I spotted a flavor I'd never seen before.

"Have you ever tried lavender honeycomb?" I asked, this time actually looking over at Tyler.

"Is that even a thing?" He laughed and I felt sort of embarrassed. Had I picked something too weird?

"I've definitely never had it, but I've never been one for stepping outside of my comfort zone. We should both get it and find out what it's like." He looked at me with excitement in his eyes and I snorted.

"Yeah, living on the edge." I said sarcastically. Immediately I was flooded with regret. What if he took that the wrong way? He's still my mom's boss! I can't be rude to him!

He laughed then, really actually laughed. It was more like a cackle than a laugh, and yet I found it infinitely charming, my regret washed away in the tide of relief.

"What can I get for you guys?" It was finally our turn to order and Tyler jumped in without hesitation.

"We'd like two lavender honeycomb, one in a dish..." He looked at me expectantly and for a moment I had no idea what he wanted.

"O-Oh and the other in a sugar cone." I added, addressing the waiter but glancing towards Tyler nervously for approval. He just smiled, which was reassurance enough.

"You're a cone person?" He asked, as the waiter got our orders. I shrugged.

"I guess it always just depends."

Moments later we stood on the baby blue porch nursing our ice creams.

"I believe that lavender honeycomb was a good investment." Tyler grinned, eating his out of a tiny styrofoam bowl.

"I agree, though if you think too much it starts tasting a bit like hand lotion." I replied. Incredibly I felt at ease and I was having a good time.

"So Troye, let's play a game to try and learn about each other." Tyler leaned his elbows on the porch rail and I followed suit.

"What kind of game?" My heartbeat increased and I tried to steady my breathing. Tyler wanted to know more about me?

"I dunno, like twenty questions or whatever, let's just each ask a question for the other person to answer."

"Okay."

"Right I'll go first, what's your favourite thing to do?"

The question was simple enough, a typical sort of thing to ask a person you want to know better. Still a jolt of anxiety shot through me. What did I like to do? No, what was my very favourite activity? I thought hard. This felt like a defining moment, Tyler was going to judge me based on whatever I said next.

"I don't know..." I sounded so silly, even to myself. What kind of person can't think of their favourite activity? I made like I was still deep in thought.

"Um... I like to..." I ran through my typical day in my head. Get up, make breakfast for Sage and Tyde, help mom, go to work, make dinner, clean... Nothing stood out to me, I was essentially the most boring person on the planet.

"I like to cook I guess..." I said lamely, knowing fully that cooking was not the most exciting thing in the world, nor was it the single activity that I enjoyed above all others.

Tyler nodded as if he was contemplating my answer, "well you're certainly very good at it." He said, his smile easing my inner tension—if only a little. There was a pause in the conversation while we both ate more of our ice creams, then Tyler spoke.

"Anyways it's your turn."

I hadn't even thought of anything to ask him, though not for lack of options—I knew nothing about him.

"How old are you?" I started with the same question he'd asked me the morning I made him breakfast.

"Twenty four." He replied, "I'm practically middle aged." He threw a hand to his forehead for dramatic effect. I laughed.

"I think you've still got a ways to go." In truth his answer did surprise me. I hadn't imagined him being that much older than me, maybe it was the way he acted?

"Alright my turn, what's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" I only thought for a moment about this one before answering.

"The sunset from my old house in Australia." I answered, I'd seen other sunsets and other beautiful things but the feeling I got from sitting on the porch and watching the skies turn to creamy sorbets or honey punch was indescribable. I hadn't noticed that I was staring off into space until Tyler nudged my arm.

"Your turn."

"Right, um. You're going to university right? What are you studying?" Mom had brought up the fact that Tyler went to college which was why I already knew, specifically I was wondering why he got up so early if he didn't need to. I certainly wouldn't.

"I'm studying management," his shoulders slumped just the tiniest bit, and his eyes seemed to lose their normal sparkle. Was I imagining things? "I'm going to take over my family's bank when I graduate so I'm learning how to run a business." He didn't even sound like Tyler anymore. These were pre-programmed responses and I felt bad for even asking.

"Hey that's amazing! I mean, you're going to have your very own business someday soon! I've never even dreamed of something like that!" I did my best to sound enthused but when he faced me it was with a melancholy smile.

"Yeah it's cool, it's whatever." He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Are you ready to head home now?"

"Oh, yeah totally." I felt terrible, I must have said the wrong thing and now he just wanted to get away from me as quickly as possible. I followed him to his car in tense silence. He surprised me by continuing our game once we were on the road.

"Okay, what's your favorite band?" I was certainly embarrassed about this one, but not enough to lie about it.

"One Direction probably?" I chewed nervously on my nails and watched his reaction out of the corner of my eye. Honestly how many straight boys say their favorite band is 1D?

"Oh my god! Are you serious? I'm a total directioner too! Who's your favourite member?" His attitude seemed to have done a complete one eighty and his eyes were sparkling once again. We spent the remainder of the car ride gushing about our new found commonality.

When we pulled into the driveway I got out of the car reluctantly. I'd had a lot of fun spending time with Tyler.

"Thank you for the ice cream Mr. Oakley." I smiled, "and I had a lot of fun."

"It's no problem, and seriously you should call me Tyler. We're friends now right?" The way he asked it didn't feel like a question but I answered him anyways.

"Yeah, I guess so."

 **A/N: I apologize for the lateness of this chapter but truthfully things are really crazy in my life right now so updating is going to be sporadic. I'm sorry. Thank you for sticking it out though, you're all wonderful people.**


	6. Chapter 6

_Troye_

When we got back from our little ice cream excursion it was time to start making dinner. Sage and Tyde were both home from school, off in their rooms hopefully working on their assignments. I started some rice and then took out some chicken breasts, chopping them into bite sized pieces before frying them up with an onion. I suddenly felt exhausted and even a little bit dizzy. I wondered if this was just what spending time with Tyler does to me. Tyde wandered into the kitchen just as I finished the chicken.

"What are you making?" He leaned on the refrigerator handle, peering over the stove.

"Fajitas," I answered, going to the pantry and grabbing a can of black beans, I searched in the drawer for a can-opener. "If you want to help you can heat up the tortillas in the small frying pan." I pointed to the stove where the pan was already waiting. Tyde grimaced, slouching against the refrigerator.

"Or don't, it'll only take a second anyways." I dumped the beans into a pot and turned on the burner beneath them. "Can you go tell Sage that dinner's ready?" I asked, going to the fridge to retrieve the tortillas. Seemingly more accepting of his new job, Tyde scurried off.

I moved to get some plates from the cupboard but I was hit with a sudden wave of dizziness and had to clutch onto the countertop to keep from falling. I closed my eyes and steadied myself. What's wrong with me? I felt my forehead, perhaps I'd only thought I was better? It seemed like the fever was back.

I took a few deep breaths and then straightened up to get the plates. I could not afford to be sick, absolutely not. There was just no time in my schedule for that kind of nonsense. Maybe I was just dehydrated. I got myself a glass of water and then finished putting the fajitas together. Tyde returned to the kitchen, this time followed by Sage. They grabbed their plates of food and headed to the table, I followed suit.

"I just couldn't believe she'd say that about him, I mean, they were best friends!" Sage continued telling some story she must have started earlier. Tyde nodded along.

"Well he is kind of a weirdo, I mean, I don't really blame her." He chimed in. Clearly they were talking about kids from school. I felt oddly isolated, they were off on their own adventure everyday, together. I didn't know any of these people, or these stories. I drank my water in silence.

At least I had my memory of an afternoon with Tyler Oakley. That was an adventure neither of them had, it was my adventure. And Tyler said we were friends now. Did that mean there were going to be more adventures in the future? I could only hope.

After dinner, and when the dishes were done I sat outside on the patio. We had a set of deck furniture out here and I sat at the table, drinking another glass of water. My heartbeat was pounding in my head and my eyes couldn't seem to focus. I tried to breathe in the cool evening air, but everything felt like a million degrees. I slumped forward to rest my head in my arms. This was very not good.

The next morning I awoke with an intense chest pain, for minutes I struggled to breathe, sitting up in my bed and gasping for air. It all ended in a horrible coughing fit, I doubled over in my bed, clutching my stomach and trying to get air to my lungs.

"Troye, Troye are you okay?" My brother was sitting up, looking at me with a frightened expression. I nodded weakly.

"I'm fine-" The coughing started again and I reached for my glass of water on the bedside table, downing it in one go. Finally I got control of myself.

"Sorry for waking you up." I said in a ragged voice, when I could breathe normally.

"What happened?" Tyde asked, pulling back his sheets and getting out of bed.

"I don't know, I might have a cold or something. It's no big deal." I answered. This seemed to be enough of an explanation for Tyde.

"Oh, okay. Don't get me sick then." He left for the bathroom. I lowered my head into my hands with a sigh, rubbing my temples with my fingers. My stomach hurt from coughing and I could still feel the tight sensation in my lungs like any moment I could burst into another fit. After ages of trying to pull myself together I decided I had to get up, slowly I uncurled from my sitting position and climbed out of bed. I was feeling surprisingly well considering, though I had no doubt now that I was sick. Still better a cold then a fever. I didn't bother changing out of my pajamas and just went to the kitchen to start breakfast.

I put on the kettle for tea, pulling three mugs from the cupboard. I made Earl Gray for me and Sage, and English Breakfast for Tyde. Next I got out the carton of eggs from the refrigerator and whipped up a batch of scrambled eggs with toast. Sage came in dressed and ready for school.

"Want me to butter the toast?" She asked, already moving towards the toaster.

"Sure, that'd be helpful." I replied, grating cheese over the eggs and for a moment we slipped into a peaceful quiet.

"So what were you up to yesterday?" She asked suddenly. I quirked my eyebrow at her.

"Hey I noticed you came home late, I'm not completely lost in my own world." She grinned cheekily and I smiled back.

"Never said you were." I put the cheese back into its bag and returned it to the fridge. "Actually Tyler and I went out for ice cream, it was kind of random but it was fun."

"So you guys are bros now or what?" She took the tea bag from her mug and tossed it, moving to bring her food to the table. I never understood how she managed to drink tea without milk—it was so bitter.

"I guess, maybe? I feel like we're pretty low on the friendship scale still." I poured milk into my tea, and joined her at the table.

"I had no idea there was such a thing." She smiled behind her mouthful of toast.

"Of course there is, some people can just sidestep the process though. People who are good at making friends." I looked at her pointedly and she giggled.

"Speaking of that, I'm actually going over my friend's house after school today, so I probably won't be back for dinner. Will you tell mom for me?" She blew daintily on her tea, and proceeded to sip it before it was cool enough, her face contorted in pain. "Whew, still hot."

"That's why you need milk." I answered smugly. "And yeah I'll tell mom, just don't be too late or she'll worry."

"Right."

 _Tyler_

I wanted to think about Troye, about our conversation and our trip to the ice cream place. I wanted to plan new excursions for us—wanted to find new ways to be exciting and interesting, to earn his trust and his time. But work is hardly the place for thinking. You imagine you'll have all this time in your hands, while doing a repetitive process like stamping envelopes or running spreadsheets, but brains don't work the way you want them to. Even if your mind drifts it's unconscious and uncontrollable.

So I didn't think of Troye, I thought about food, and trips to tropical islands, and Connor's work ethic and my future. Every time I tried to think of Troye I got stuck in the same place. One scene playing over and over again through my mind on an infinite loop. I watched his perfect smile illuminated in the afternoon sun, the breeze ruffling his hair-his ice cream a metaphor for his sweet and effortless charm. And that was all I saw, only that memory. If I tried extra hard I might revisit the car ride home, our trivial conversation might as well have been a philosophical revelation when it came from the mouth of an angel. Troye the angel.

"You want to grab some lunch soon?" It was Connor breaking through my racing thoughts.

"Oh yeah, there's chicken parmesan in the cafeteria today." I recalled, one of the few edible meals in the dining hall, I looked forward to it. Plus Troye wasn't working today so there wasn't any reason to go to the 50's diner.

"Sounds good, want me to grab some so we can keep working while we eat?" It was an innocent suggestion but I laughed.

"Dude you gotta take breaks sometimes or you'll die from boredom." I patted Connor's shoulder while he blushed and laughed nervously.

"Right sorry."

"Don't be sorry about having a better work ethic, I apologize for corrupting you but let's go eat in the dining hall." I got up from my desk and Connor followed me out of the office.

The cafeteria was noisy and filled with young urban professionals, neatly dressed in suits and ties talking excitedly about stocks and advertising campaigns. It almost made me feel less hungry, almost.

"Hey this chicken isn't actually that bad." Connor said, surprised. We'd found our way to a table by the window overlooking the busy metropolitan street below.

"Right? It's crazy how the food fluctuates from God-awful to actually pretty good." I took a mouthful myself, for some reason I suddenly thought of Troye the morning he'd made my breakfast. My hands felt sweaty.

"You know I heard some people talking about some kind of get-together at your house this weekend, do you know anything about that?" Connor brought my attention back. I mentally slapped myself, of course I'd forgotten to tell him.

"Oh man sorry, I was going to tell you this morning." I gave him my most apologetic face. "My mom holds this yearly party at the end of the summer for everyone who works here, it's kind of boring as far as parties go but it's supposed to be classy, not fun." I shrugged. "Anyways you're totally invited if you felt like coming. It's Saturday night." I noticed suddenly how Connor's eyes had lit up.

"Wow that sounds awesome! Think of the connections you could make with people in the company!" He was ecstatic, and then seemed to remember something. "Er, not that you need connections..." He scratched the back of his head. I laughed.

"Dude, do you ever stop thinking about work?" It was supposed to be a joke but I felt inexplicably guilty again after I said it.

"Sometimes." Connor answered seriously.

"Well it'll be good to see you there." I smiled, changing the subject. "Then at least one person won't be boring me to death."

 **A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews, you're all so lovely. I apologize that this chapter is so short. Thanks for reading 3**


	7. Chapter 7

_Troye_

The Oakley residence had been bustling with activity since five o'clock in the morning. Interior decorators, chefs, bartenders, catering, cleaning and maintenance staff had all been hired for the Friday preceding the party—and the woman in charge of the entire operation was my mom. I had almost forgotten about the party, but it was certainly at the front of my mind now. My mother, knowing how occupied she would be, had kindly drawn up a list of her normal housework that someone had to take care of while she busied herself telling everyone what to do. Of course that someone was me.

It was a typical Friday which meant I'd be working at the diner—but it was an evening shift so I had all morning to complete the daunting list of chores. I was trying mostly to stay out of everyone's way, but there were people everywhere. Setting flower arrangements, decorating every available wall, ceiling and surface, mass-producing food of all kinds in the kitchen, setting up drink mixers in the bar and bringing in bottle after bottle of various types of expensive liqueurs. Cleaning staff were going over every floor with polish, the glasses were being washed until they sparkled, vacuums and dusters worked non-stop. There were few rooms in the house that didn't contain some kind of activity.

The laundry room was one of those rare spaces, so I enjoyed some solace there while I folded warm clothes fresh out of the dryer. I couldn't imagine how stressful the whole situation must be for my mother, just thinking about it made me feel guilty. The amount of work she took on felt criminal and I vowed to work extra hard to help her however I could. She'd already asked me if I could take Saturday off from work to help the catering staff—having three extra workers who didn't need to be paid was a pretty big bonus. Thus Sage and I had been assigned to carry around trays of food and glasses of champagne. Tyde was not yet trusted with so difficult a task. He was helping in the kitchen.

I was almost finished folding the dryer load when someone unexpected walked into the laundry room. Tyler, his hair rumpled from sleep, wearing nothing but sweatpants. My first instinct was to look away, heat rose on my cheeks. Didn't he care that the house was full of strangers?

Tyler blinked, as if surprised, and then broke into a sleepy-smile that made my insides turn to jelly.

"Hey, didn't expect to see you in here. And holding my underwear too." Tyler broke the silence.

I looked down at my hands, sure enough he was holding a pair of briefs. I looked back up, the blush on my cheeks deepening. "I-I was j-just..." I swallowed, trying to grasp some way to explain the situation to Tyler.

"I'm just doing the laundry." I was dismayed to hear my voice drop to a whisper at the end of the sentence.

Tyler only laughed, though I thought his carefree demeanor wasn't reaching his eyes. "It's okay dude, I'm just looking for a shirt. You wouldn't happen to know the location of one would you?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Wordlessly I reached into the basket of folded clothing and held out a plain T-shirt to him.

"Thanks." He took the shirt, his fingers just barely brushing over mine, I shivered. "So you're the laundry boy today?" Tyler asked, pulling the shirt over my head. He looked so composed.

I nodded, and then because he couldn't see me with his head inside a shirt— I added, "yeah something like that."

"You want any help?" Tyler asked when he'd finally gotten the shirt on. The question took me off guard and I didn't respond for a moment while I processed it.

"Are you sure?" I spoke the first words that came to mind, it seemed silly for him to want to do laundry when he surely had a thousand more important things to do.

"Hey I asked didn't I?" He grinned and gave me a playful punch on the shoulder that caused my heart to jump in my chest. "I'm afraid I have no idea how to do laundry though so you'll have to explain to me how everything works." He laughed again and I felt a little less nervous.

"Don't worry, I've got you covered." I found myself smiling at him. "You can start by moving all the clothes from the washer to the dryer." I pointed in the direction of the two machines.

"Yessir!" Tyler gave me a mock salute and marched off. I watched him from the corner of my eye while I set up the ironing board and got started ironing a stack of button down shirts. He opened both the washer and dryer, likely because he didn't know which was which, and eventually found the wet clothes in the washer. He began to move the items carefully, one piece at a time to the dryer. I laughed.

"What is it?" He turned around with a goofy grin, "am I doing something stupid?"

"Well you can certainly move the clothes one at a time, I'm sure it makes them feel special. But if we want to be done sometime today I might suggest moving several things at once." I carefully hung the first ironed shirt on a rack while I was speaking.

Tyler looked embarrassed but he never stopped smiling. "Right, I'm sure I'll get the hang of it eventually."

It was actually kind of adorable to see him struggle with something as simple as doing laundry. Suddenly he was just a little more human.

Finally he managed to transfer all the clothes from one machine to the other and he smiled at me triumphantly.

"Finished! What's next?" He looked so proud of himself that I gave him a double thumbs up.

"Good job! Next, you see that handle on the top of the dryer there?" I went back to absentminded ironing as I gave him instructions. He turned around and peered over the top of the dryer.

"Yup, found it!" He called.

"Okay pull it out and empty the lint off the screen inside." I waited while he removed the lint filter and attempted to scrape the gray fluff off the screen.

"It's not coming off!" He protested, turning back to show me his futile attempt to pull at the lint.

"Just gather a little bit of it and rub it across the rest, it'll work better." It was really funny to watch him become so focused on his task. His eyebrows furrowed and it was obvious the job was taking much concentration. I looked back down at my ironing for a moment until a hand appeared under my face with a fluffy gray ball.

"Here I got it all!" Tyler was holding the ball out to me, like it might be some important part of the laundry. I burst out laughing, out of all the things he'd done this seemed the silliest by far.

"What's so funny!" He protested, looking hurt when I couldn't stop laughing at him.

"Sorry, sorry." I gasped out, "It's just that..." I took a deep breath and looked at him seriously, "it's just that that's lint Tyler." He actually looked confused for a moment, before seeming to grasp the situation.

"Just lint." he huffed. "I've worked hard to get this lint for you Troye, the least you can do is accept my offering!" He was joking around now and began to tear the ball of lint into many small bits.

"What are you do-" I wasn't finished with my sentence when he blew them at me. Tiny pieces of fluff flew right into my face and scattered all over the shirt I was ironing. They stuck to my shirt too and I had no doubt they were also in my hair.

"Tyler!" I gasped after a moment of shock. He was grinning impishly at me, I narrowed my eyes. "Well if you're gonna play dirty..." I lifted the iron and pointed it at him, pressing the mist button and spraying him with warm water.

"Is that how you thank me for such a generous gift?" Tyler looked down at his clothes. The mist had barely even dampened them but he lifted the hem of his shirt as if to say 'look what you've done.' "I'll never be able to wear this shirt again!" He cried, clamping a hand over his heart.

"Truly a tragic loss." I conceded, laughing again. My heart felt light and giddy. It seemed like the last time I'd had fun like this was so long ago I could barely remember.

 _Tyler_

Troye kept giggling at my laundry mishaps and I loved the sound so much I barely cared that he was making fun of me. It was embarrassing that I knew nothing about a simple task like washing clothes, but it didn't matter because it gave me the perfect excuse to spend time with Troye. His smile was so bright and beautiful, I wanted to watch him forever.

"Alright tell me what to do now."

"Sure, why don't you start by picking all the lint off this perfectly clean and ironed shirt that you've des-" all of a sudden a strange look came over Troye and he stopped to cough into his hand. It was light at first, and I didn't think it was anything serious until it worsened. He coughed and coughed until he was gasping for air, clutching the side of the ironing board for support.

"Troye?" I was starting to panic, a cold sweat breaking over me. "What's happening are you alright?" My hand instinctively went to his shoulder, it felt fragile like under his cardigan was nothing but bird bones. He looked up at me and swallowed hard, trying to get himself under control. His eyes were watering, but he gave me a tight smile.

"I'm fine." He paused and coughed again, "just inhaled some lint."

I felt instantly relieved, he wasn't dying, everything was okay. My knees felt weak.

"Guess my lint superpower is too much for you." I joked. Still I wasn't sure inhaling lint could make a person cough the way Troye had been.

"Guess so." he answered absently. I noticed his face was looking rather pale.

I helped Troye with the laundry until I had to leave for class. He was still playful and funny but he seemed more stressed after the coughing fit and I felt like somehow it was my fault. Still I'd made a breakthrough with him, we'd actually spent time together that wasn't awkward. I felt like we might actually be...friends.

In the middle of class I had a brilliant idea, I wanted to do something special for Troye. Something fun and silly and maybe as a bit of an apology for the lint episode. I decided I'd write him a letter and then leave it somewhere special for him. Ignoring the lecture on business practices I pulled out a piece of notebook paper and started right away.

 _To His Imperial Majesty Hot Iron,_

 _I understand that we have had our grievances in the past, but I would like to propose a truce. On behalf of both our kingdoms I think it would be best to throw down the arms of war and raise our flags of peace. I understand of course, that given your extensive loss due to the actions of my legions you may not be so enthralled by this idea. In light of this circumstance I offer you my sincerest apologies for the the suffering you've endured. In an act of faith I ask you to accept the offering I enclose along with this letter. I do hope our kingdoms will someday strive to work together._

 _Yours truly, Duke Dryer Lint_

On the drive home I kept an eye out for potential peace offerings. There were all number of stores throughout the city but I wasn't sure what kind of gift would be okay to get for Troye at this point in our relationship. Of course I wanted to buy him desinger clothes, or diamond cufflinks or an expensive watch but I figured those were probably not appropriate.

I spied the cupcake shop while stopped at a traffic light and had the sudden urge to check it out. While getting out of the car I second guessed myself, what if Troye doesn't like cupcakes? I suddenly thought of his skinny frame and how tiny his shoulders were. He needs a cupcake I decided.

"Hello, welcome!" the middle-aged woman behind the counter greeted me. The shop was adorable, the case in the front filled with the most intricate and wonderful looking cupcakes I'd seen in my life. There were chocolate ones, vanilla ones, raspberry ones, rum butter ones, coconut ones, strawberry ones, almost any flavour under the sun. It was slightly overwhelming.

"What can I get for you?" The woman asked. Watching me from over the counter.

"I haven't decided yet." I replied, still scanning the options. Then I saw it, the perfect cupcake.

"Actually, I'll take that one, the green tea and lavender one." It just seemed like the perfect odd choice for Troye. Plus it stuck to our lavender theme. The woman wrapped it up for me it a cute box.

Now the only thing left was to find the best location to leave the letter where Troye would find it.

When I returned home I found the drive strung with beautiful twinkling fairy lights—a direct contrast to the house which was mostly dark now. It seemed like most of the extra staff had left for the evening. I wondered if they'd turn off the driveway lights too, it seemed like a waste of electricity to keep them on all night. But then again, they really did look incredible.

I found my way to my room without running into anyone on the way. I was about to collapse onto my bed, exhausted, when I noticed the pile of neatly folded clothes. I knew Laurelle typically put them away for me—which meant that Troye was the one who'd left them there. I got an odd shiver knowing he'd been in my room. At the same time, it was really a sweet gesture that he hadn't gone through my things looking for the correct places to put the clothes away. I hummed to myself as I lifted them off the bed and moved them to my desk chair, I'd deal with them later. Right now what I wanted was to sleep.


End file.
